234 THE GA'ALlfN AND DANAGLA GROUP iii. i. xxxviii.

family on this account was described by Burckhardt as "of the same tribe as" the 'Abdullab—and, on the other, we know from Bruce that in his day—before the revolt of Muhammad wad Nimr, that is Shendi was ruled by a woman, the sister of Wad 'Agi'b (the 'Abdullabi "mdngU") and mother of Idri's wad el Fahl, who in 1772 was the heir-apparent to the sheikhship.

In all probability the Sa'adab in their earlier stages were under the 'Abdullab suzerainty ; and that the rule of the Sa'adab may have been nominal rather than effective is suggested by Burckhardt's remark concerning some villages between Damer and Shendi in 1814: They are inhabited by the Arabs Mekaberab, who were formerly tributary to the chiefs of Shendy, but who have long since asserted their freedom, and now live partly upon the produce of their fields, and partly by robbery; they are at war with all their neighbours, and having acquired a reputation for superior valour, are much dreaded by them*.

Later, it appears, the Nifi'ab, the Nafa'ab and the Karakisa entertained designs of seizing the headship from the Awlad Nimr, but an agreement was finally reached whereby the latter and the Nafa'ab took the east bank and the remainder obtained the west bank of the river and called themselves the Sa'adab proper.

In Burckhardt's day the Ga'aliin were still a nomadic rather than a sedentar} tribe. They had cultivation on the river but their subtribes roamed up the Atbara and over the Butana'.

"The true Djaalein Bedouins," says the traveller, "who come from the eastern desert are much fairer-skinned than the inhabitants of the banks of the Nile.... I was much struck with the physiognomy of many of these Djaaleins, who had exactly the countenance and expression of features of the Bedouins of eastern Arabia."

XXXIX At present the Ga'aliin are very widely distributed as small traders and colonists and employees, though the nucleus of the tribe remain cultivators and herdsmen between the Shabluka and the Atbara®.

They suffered enormous losses in the Dervish days: thousands Nubia, p. 268.

Note the matrilinear system still in force.

P. 272.

* He hazards that perhaps they are the Megaberi of Strabo.

* See A II, Lxv. * Burckhardt, p. 279.

' Burckhardt, p. 265. Burckhardt, p. 296.

® Sheikh Ibrahim Muhammad Ferah of the wealthy Nifi'ab section calls himself "Sheikh of all the Ga'aliin" and is accepted in theory by a certain number of the tribe, but his claim is only based on events dating from the Dervish days and is practically negligible. Such of the Ga'aliin as are not settled outside their own " ddr" under the sheikhs of the local tribes, or as independent traders, etc., are under their respective sectional 'omdas.